Fiji comes to life this month and next month through Fiji Untold by VOU, with performances at HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast on 30th August, followed by Thomas Dixon Centre in Brisbane on 1st September.
Fiji Untold takes audiences into the stories that have been passed down through generations, bringing them to the stage through movement, music, theatre and contemporary Fijian performance.
VOU says the stories are powerful, sometimes mysterious, but always deeply connected to Fiji.
At the heart of the performance is mana - the energy, presence and spiritual strength that is so much a part of Fijian life.
VOU says for the Fijian performers, this is more than performing a story about home - they are bringing a piece of home with them.
For Fijians living in Queensland, Fiji Untold is an opportunity to reconnect with familiar stories, sounds and memories.
More shows for the other states will be announced soon.
For Australian audiences, it offers a chance to see Fiji through the eyes of its people - beyond the resorts and postcards.
The production also carries an important message for the next generation.
Fijian stories have traditionally been passed from one generation to another through family, community, movement and storytelling.
VOU's founding mission is to turn raw creative talent into sustainable careers for young Fijians.
Ticket proceeds support the Conservatorium of Dance (Fiji's first accredited tertiary dance qualification) which each year awards 20 young Fijians a fully-funded two-year diploma in Performing Arts, plus accommodation and a living allowance for the duration of their studies.
Every graduate is guaranteed full-time work with the VOU Dance Company.
VOU now employs more than 80 Fijians in the creative arts, with women holding the majority of its leadership roles.
Director of VOU, Sachiko Soro says their dream is to build a world where young Fijians have access to quality creative education, allowing them to use their gifts to carve out real, sustainable careers.
Soro says they train their youth to an elite international standard so they can step onto the world stage with confidence.
She says they believe that Fijians have a special kind of contagious happiness, that, combined with beautiful cultural storytelling through circus, dance, acrobats and humour, together they can create magic and human connection even for a moment.
Soro says right now, the world just needs more happiness, more joy, and more bridges.
She says for them, those bridges are the canvas of a circus tent, a place where people can come together, escape for a moment, and share a laugh.
